PHOTO CAPTION: OPPA scholars Jose Marie “JM” Eserjose and Marloe Kyril Maruyama represent the country in the Asian Youth Orchestra. The prestigious orchestra will go on tour starting July this year.

Two scholars of the Original Pilipino Performing Arts (OPPA) Foundation were recently inducted as members of the prestigious Asian Youth Orchestra, the region’s premier pre-professional orchestra that offers advanced studies and opportunities for musical tours with celebrated artists and conductors.

Marloe Kyril Maruyama who is currently taking up Performance Major in Double Bass, and Jose Marie “JM” Eserjose taking up Performance Major in Violin, who are both enjoying OPPA scholarship benefits at St. Scholastica’s College, were among the eight Filipinos chosen to take part in this year’s concert tour.

“I had so little time to prepare for my auditions,” said Marloe. “I was balancing school, work, and gigs and was only able to practice for two to three times a week due to the busy schedules,” he added. For JM’s part, the scholar was initially on the fence whether he could pass the auditions for the prestigious tour or not as he has yet to learn the orchestra excerpts. “We only had three months to learn it and I immediately practiced each bar. Despite the difficulties, I luckily made it.” He said.

Marloe and JM both learned early on that studying music required discipline and dedication. Marloe focused on the important details of playing bass such as precision and timing, while JM started following the Asian Youth Orchestra last year wanting to be a part of it since.

Both young talents also credit the OPPA Foundation for their successes saying that it allows them to pursue higher levels of performance while removing the stress in having to mind tuition fees. “In my study of music, I have realized that it is not really about how long you played an instrument or how talented you are. It’s more about how much time and effort you dedicate to learn your instrument,” said JM.

Both scholars acknowledge time as their teacher apart from their academic courses, and being members of this year’s Asian Youth Orchestra will certainly give both the proper exposure and experience they need in becoming future professionals. “As music students, we are slow-cooked until we reach our full potential, and all these opportunities that the OPPA Foundation has opened for us helps us get a chance to be part of the Asian Youth Orchestra,” said Marloe.

The OPPA Foundation was established through the assistance of the Resorts World Philippines Cultural Heritage Foundation, Inc., in recognition and support of the Filipino talent. The foundation nurtures talented young students who want to pursue studies in the performing arts by granting them scholarships to OPPA’s seven affiliate schools.

The Asian Youth Orchestra will go on tour from July 20 to September 1 with scheduled performances in Japan, Taiwan, China and Korea.

###

About Original Pilipino Performing Arts (OPPA) Foundation:

The Original Pilipino Performing Arts (OPPA) Foundation was established in 2015 with the guidance of its Founding Chairman, Dr. Andrew L. Tan, in the pursuit to recognize and uplift the Filipino’s illustrious talent in various aspects of performance.

Since 2016, the Resorts World Philippines Cultural Heritage Foundation, Inc. (RWPCHFI), through the OPPA Foundation, has been granting scholarships to deserving Filipino youth for various performing arts courses offered in the program. For the scholarship program, the OPPA Foundation has partnered with seven schools namely: Meridian International Business, Arts, and Technology College; Ateneo De Manila University; University of Santo Tomas; St. Scholastica’s College; St. Paul University of Manila; De La Salle College of Saint Benilde; and Assumption College San Lorenzo.

With partnerships from the academe, industry practitioners, and private stakeholders, the OPPA Foundation aims to institutionalize efforts in the advancement of Philippine performing arts by providing academic assistance, skills enhancement, and career opportunities to its scholars. The RWPCHFI and the OPPA Foundation remain committed in their objective to support the local industry, nurture potential talent, and elevate the quality of performing arts in the country.